Device for rendering uniform the feed of incandescent filaments of light sources

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for feeding successive coils of wire endwise in spaced relationship. The coils are successively fed by a vibration feeder over two longitudinally spaced electrically isolated guide sections which are connected in series with a power source, a relay, and with the motor of the vibration feeder. When two successive coils are so spaced as to overlie the vibration feeder and the first isolated path section, on the one hand, and the first and second isolated path section on the other, the vibration feeder is stopped for a predetermined period during which the first fed coil continues to travel under an effect other than that of the vibration feeder.

United States Patent Hollo et al. 1451 Oct. 3, 1972 54] DEVICE FORRENDERING UNIFORM 3,162,294 12/1964 Dieter ..198/34 THE FEED OFINCANDESCENT FILAMENTS OF LIGHT SOURCES Inventors: lmre Hollo; SandorLengyel; Mildos Hannauer, all of Budapest; Bela Eross, Vac, all ofHungary Assignee: Egyesudt Izzolampa es Villamossagi/Reszvengtarsasag,Budapest, Hungary Filed: Nov. 30, 1970 Appl. No.: 93,573

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 28, 1969 Hungary ..l753

US. Cl ..'....l98/34 Int. Cl ..B65g 47/26 Field of Search 198/82, 34,37, 232; 221/9; 307/1 13; 200/6109 References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 4/1958 Simer ..198/37 Primary Examiner-Edward A. SrokaAttorney-Arthur O. Klein [5 7] ABSTRACT An arrangement for feedingsuccessive coils of wire endwise in spaced relationship. The coils aresuccessively fed by a vibration feeder over two longitudinally spacedelectrically isolated guide sections which are 10 Claims, 1 DrawingFigure DEVICE FOR RENDERING UNIFORM THE FEED OF INCANDESCENT FILAMENTSOF LIGHT SOURCES An important part of electrical light sources such asincandescent lamps and discharge tube is the helical incandescent coilor filament.

The coils are fitted to the electrodes of the light sources by means ofso-called assembling devices which feed the coils either by hand orautomatically. The automatic feeding of the coils consists of twophases. 7

In the first phase, the preliminary arrangement of the very thin andflexible coils is carried out. This is generally done in a known way bymeans of an electromagnetic vibration feeder so that the coils, fed inbulk, will arrive at the end of the helical delivery path of thevibration feeder one after the other, in the same relative orientedposition.

In the second phase, the feeding at a uniform rate of the alreadyarranged or oriented coils arriving in the same relative position issuch that the feeding rate, that is, coils per minute, should correspondto the number of steps per minute of the assembling device, i.e., onecoil should be fed for each assembling step.

The various coil feeding systems provide for different methods offeeding of the coils at a uniform rate. Each system tries to produce inthe first phase of the preliminary arrangement as uniform an output ofthe vibration feeder as can be achieved. Each system tries to insurethat the ends of the coils leaving the vibration feeder do not toucheach other, since the separation of intertwined coils is difficult or isnot at all possible; tangled coils must be discarded as waste.

The required space between the previously arranged coils is insured withknown systems (e.g. French Pat. No. 1,352,457). ln one known system theends of the coils arriving from the vibration feeder engage anelectrical contact and thus completes an electrical circuit which stopsthe vibration feeder until such contact-engaging coil is deflected toanother path. In another known system, the presence of each coil comingfrom the vibration feeder is sensed by a photoelectric or othermeans andwhen sensed, it stops the vibration feeder until the coil is removed.The drawbacks of these solutions are as follows:

a. The output of the vibration feeder is lower, since with thepreliminary arrangement on the vibration feeder, the vibration feedermust be stopped for a certain period when a coil arrives at anon-uniform distance from the delivery path.

b. Due to the non-uniform output of the vibration feeder, very often twocoils arrive immediately one after the other; in such cases both coilsare delivered further without being separated and without the requiredindividual feeding.

The device according to the invention insures by simple means both themaximum output of the vibration feeder and the separation of the coilsarriving one immediately after the other. Such device is characterizedby the fact that the coils emerging from the vibration feeder atirregular intervals travel on an electrically insulated section of anelectrically conductive supporting guide of given or adjustable length.If two coils arrive within a guiding path section of given length, thesetwo coils extending over the insulated electrically conductive guidepart close a circuit, as a consequence of which the vibration feederstops. Then, after a preset period, the vibration feeder starts again.The apparatus is so constructed and arranged that during the period ofcessation of the vibration feeder one of the coils in question freelytravels under the effect of gravitation, amplitude difference, airblast, or other power effect, and/or of their combination.

The invention will be described more detailed by way of the enclosedschematic drawing labelled FIG. 1.

The coils leaving the vibration feeder 1 first pass over the insulatedelectrically conducting path section 2 and then over path section 3. Theinput point of the sensing unit 4 is connected to path section 3, whichis electrically conducting. The feeder 1, section 2, and section 3, aredisposed in alignment and separated from each other, as shown.

if the distance between the coils 5 and 6 leaving the vibration feeder 1is smaller than the length of the electrically conducting isolated pathsection 2, the coil 5 electrically connects the vibration feeder l tothe isolated path section 2, while the coil 6 electrically connects theinsulated path section 2 to the isolated path section 3. Thus, the inputcircuit of the sensing unit 4 is closed. The output of the sensing unit4 is connected to a control unit 7; the output signal of the sensingunit 4 stops the vibration feeder l for a predetermined time. Thevibration feeder 1 being cut out for a given time, the coil 5, a part ofwhich overlies the feeder, stays in its place while the coil 6 continuesits travel on a gravity path or under any other power effect (notshown). When coil 6 no longer engages section 3, the electricalconnection between the isolated path sections 2 and 3 ceases.

The vibration feeder 1 being cut out, the coil 6 continues its travelunder gravity or any other power effect, so that the required distancesbetween the coils 5 and 6 is established. A given time having elapsed,the control unit 7 which has a mechanical or electronic time delaymeans, e.g., a monostable multivibrator restarting the vibration feederafter a preadjustable time, switches the vibration feeder l in again,and the coil 5 starts to travel again.

If the distance between the coils 5 and 6 as they leave the vibrationfeeder 1 one after the other is greater than the length of the isolatedpath section 2, the input circuit of the sensing unit 4 will not beclosed and the vibration feeder 1 will continue to feed the coils 5 and6. In this way the maximum output of the vibration feeder l is insuredwith an optimum preliminary arrangement, since the vibration feederstops when, and exclusively in case when, the distance between two coilsfollowing each other is smaller than the minimum space required for theuniform feeding.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to aplurality of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be expresslyunderstood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such aplurality of preferred embodiments, but is capable of numerousmodifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for the arrangement of axially elongated coils of smallgauge wire which are successively fed forwardly in their axialdirections at irregular intervals along a predetermined path by a motordriven feeder,

comprising three serially spaced electrically conducting, electricallyisolated coil guiding and supporting sections, the first of saidsections selectively imparting propelling force to the coils from themotor driven feeder, the first and second, and the second and thirdsections being spaced apart by distances which are less than the lengthof the coils, a source of electrical power, a selectively closableswitch, circuit means connecting the first and third sections with thepower source, the switch, and motor of the feeder, and control meansresponsive to the bridging of the first and second sections by a secondfed coil and the bridging of the second and third sections by a firstfed coil to open the switch to stop the motor of the feeder.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the feeder is a vibrationfeeder, and the first section is a vibrated table .which is a part ofthe vibration feeder.

3. A device according to claim 1, comprising time delay means forholding the switch open for a predetermined time after it has beenopened by the control means, and for thereafter closing it.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the time delay means ismechanical.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the time delay means iselectronic.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the time delay means is amonostable multivibrator.

7. A device according to claim 1, comprising means to forward the firstfed coil after the stopping of the motor driven feeder.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the means to forward the firstfed coil feeds such coil by gravity.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the means to forward the firstfed coil feeds such coil by a discharge of gas under pressure.

10. A device according to claim 7, comprising a nonradial path sectioneliminating the vibration amplitude higher than the existing vibrationamplitude of the vibration feeder at the input point of the guide pathin order to further the first fed coil after the restarting of thevibration feeder.

1. A device for the arrangement of axially elongated coils of smallgauge wire which are successively fed forwardly in their axialdirections at irregular intervals along a predetermined path by a motordriven feeder, comprising three serially spaced electrically conducting,electrically isolated coil guiding and supporting sEctions, the first ofsaid sections selectively imparting propelling force to the coils fromthe motor driven feeder, the first and second, and the second and thirdsections being spaced apart by distances which are less than the lengthof the coils, a source of electrical power, a selectively closableswitch, circuit means connecting the first and third sections with thepower source, the switch, and motor of the feeder, and control meansresponsive to the bridging of the first and second sections by a secondfed coil and the bridging of the second and third sections by a firstfed coil to open the switch to stop the motor of the feeder.
 2. A deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the feeder is a vibration feeder, and thefirst section is a vibrated table which is a part of the vibrationfeeder.
 3. A device according to claim 1, comprising time delay meansfor holding the switch open for a predetermined time after it has beenopened by the control means, and for thereafter closing it.
 4. A deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein the time delay means is mechanical.
 5. Adevice according to claim 3, wherein the time delay means is electronic.6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the time delay means is amonostable multivibrator.
 7. A device according to claim 1, comprisingmeans to forward the first fed coil after the stopping of the motordriven feeder.
 8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the means toforward the first fed coil feeds such coil by gravity.
 9. A deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the means to forward the first fed coilfeeds such coil by a discharge of gas under pressure.
 10. A deviceaccording to claim 7, comprising a non-radial path section eliminatingthe vibration amplitude higher than the existing vibration amplitude ofthe vibration feeder at the input point of the guide path in order tofurther the first fed coil after the restarting of the vibration feeder.